John Shannon
Venice VCJ, Italy
6th March, 2008

View: at table, stage-left

The setting for the European showcase of American Mystic, the debut album by Pittsburgh-born singer-songwriter, John Shannon, was truly memorable – a miniscule, exotically-appointed jazz club in the heart of the famous floating city. Undoubtedly, the intimacy of VJC – which only holds about 30 people – added an intangibly atmospheric dimension to Shannon’s performance. Indeed, there was something profoundly spellbinding, even incantatory, in the way the singer combined his soaring, ethereal vocals with gossamer-like filigrees of picked acoustic guitar. Listening to the gentle, folk-inflected nature of Shannon’s solo material, it was hard to believe that he studied jazz with the avant-garde saxophonist, Eric Kloss, and plays in Sonicbloom, the band led by Japanese jazz pianist, Hiromi. But here, in concert, it was clear that Shannon has laid aside his jazz chops and discovered a minimalist, folk-like means of musical expression well-suited to his esoteric, mystical musings. His lyrics – using myths and metaphors – might seem impenetrable to the uninitiated, but there’s no doubting the potency of the music, as Butterfly, Lion’s Mane and Forgiveness, a plaintive ode of redemption, vividly illustrated.

Reviewed by Charles Waring
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